Materials for the energy transition: Importance of recycling

Abstract

The energy transition aims, among other things, to reduce the impacts on climate change, and in particular the CO2 emissions linked to the very high consumption of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas). The solution lies firstly in energy sobriety, secondly in improving efficiency and finally, in the development of carbon-free energies with, in particular, renewable energies (EnR). On this last point, the deployment of renewable energy processes requires the mobilization of materials in relatively large quantities due to the low concentration of the energy resource (Vidal, 2018). We highlight here the quantities of materials necessary for the implementation of the various energy production systems by focusing on the main materials which are concrete, steel, copper, aluminum, glass and polymers. We will only discuss these materials here. However, we must not forget the so-called critical materials which are also used, albeit in smaller quantities, but which can pose a problem in terms of resources due to their scarcity (IEA 2021). Attention is paid to the recycling of materials which significantly changes the point of view. It is shown the interest of, of course, maximizing this recycling.